How Did It Go?

SO just how did do over the weekend, set asidse for painting?

Sigh
LOL
Sigh ...

Friday Swede popped down for an early morning visit!
I barely had my pants pulled on by the time he appeared at my door!
And he was set on hunting book shoppes!

Six and a half hours later,
He found nothing he wanted to read!
He just wanted rant at how stupid the authors and/or the subject matter was!
sigh
And suggesting maybe people oughtto read fiction instead of political propaganda just did not win me a friend!
Indeed!
Yeah, it got a bit ugly because he is on a crusade to enlightened the world ...
Of the political correctness/corruption in Western Society.
Spell that stupidity.
No he will never make friends via his metods.

Friday was utterly wasted!

And my mother had to call and whine at how she HAD to go grocery shopping on Saturday.
Okay just the morning I told her.
I was lucky to make my dialysis appointment at 5 PM!

Saturday utterly wasted!

Sunday was unusual.
For the third time in recent memory,
The pastor's message left all wondering exactly what is the problem here?!?
It was bewildering!
Just a bunch of meaningless statistics about Jesus' conversations in the Bible!
Sigh

So, the weekend was a loss.
No painting practice!
sigh

And, to round it out -
Heart attack number 5 for the year!
30 Nitroglycerin tablets and I am better.

But, may be I should not be so alone when these attacks hit!
I was barely able to open the Nitro bottle to save myself!
I was with an acquaintance, Tatyana, and honestly if she had not come along ....
In the literal nick of time ...
This post would not have happened.


Obviously, it is not my time - yet.
But, what a squeaker!

Today, cardiologist.
May 9th Cardio-Rehab program begins!

Here is to strengthening my ticker!

Breakfast

I got really sick, as a little atheist boy, growing up in a Roman Catholic country, of everything revolving around Jesus dying on the cross!
I mean, really!!!!!!
Lots of people, perhaps upwards to 2,000,000 were hung on whatever a "cross" was.
We have no idea because NO ONE documented the process nor described what a "cross" was to the Romans.
What we do have is Leonardo DeVinci's conclusions as how to best kill someone on a post.
Yeah, he excelled at killing prisoners for the Medici's!
And gave the Church the imagery it needed...

Yes, a "cross" as we know it has been depicted since the 12th century, based on the visions of a French girl.
But, good old Leonardo proved how it would work!

Once I became a Christian, I decided I needed to do sometime about my aversion to the cross.
And I had to conclude, the cross was NEVER the point of Jesus' death!
It is the empty tomb which points to Him being unique, in that regard!
Of millions crucified, He alone was resurrected!

So, I felt better about the subject, because I could now speak to it.
But, no one agrees with me.
Nope, it is Jesus on the cross which is the entire point to most everyone!
... sigh ...
Oh well.

Now, last week, I had an interesting discussion with a guy on this very subject!
Of course, remember, no one agrees with me.
But, that does not mean I am wrong,
Just that I might be seeing another perspective.

Back home, I reread my John, paying attention to John 21.

Jesus is dead, buried and the Apostles scattered.
And Jesus shows up for breakfast!
And we can think on this a bit!

Obviously, Jesus comes to us in our everyday lives.
The Apostles went fishing, it was what they knew.
They saw Jesus dead and dead people stay dead.
They could not understand they resurrection.
Even though they had already seen Jesus twice!

Jesus cares for our needs.
He wants to helps / provide for us.

And lastly, Jesus calls us to love others in their everyday lives!
Remember that the only face of Jesus, anyone may see is yours .....

Musical Saturday Morning

Am I Painting?

So, I am posting this on Wednesday, as I am - Lord willing - busy painting!

But that is if certain conditions occur!
I need time, space and quiet.
Will youngest daughter really be gone the whole time?
Or just showing up right at dinner time?
Will my nephew show up on Thursday as threatened?
He usually forgets he said he would ....
Will ailing Swede swing by?
He is freaked out now because he needs some heart stints!
(prayer item, please!)
Will my heart behave?
(prayer item)

So, I will let you know on Monday how it went!

Books

"Hi, my name is Kris and I have a problem, books!"

Boy, if that is not an understatement!
I have thousands of books.
Yes, I have read most of them at least once!
And I need to let about half of them go ....
But, I left the book store with as many as I brought!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

And they fall into three areas:
History
Art
Cooking

How can you have too many of those!?!?!?!?

But, I will have to do some major book surgery shortly!
I am thinking that even at 4,000 leaving this house, no one would probably notice!
Except me......

In other news, my heart seems to have calmed down greatly across the week!
Which is good.
I am unchaperoned for the next five days.
So, if I had to end up in the hospital, it would really be a problem!
Poor Muska (kitty), no one would be there to torment!

And no one to bring me new reading material!

Skagit Tulips

Spring is a fun time of year here in Washington State.
There is the Daffodil Festival.
Which I missed due to poor health!

The Tulip Festivals in April.
Which I almost missed!

However, here is a picture of ex-International Banker Woman.
I introduced here many years ago, 2007, maybe?
She was in my very first youth group, 45 years ago!
She is one of about ten from that group whom have stayed in touch!

So hard to believe!
And, having met her again, back then,
The timing was good for her as her life was about to turn upside down!
Her husband's funeral just about killed all  of us!

No, I can't say she landed  on her feet.
But, she continues the struggle.
As they say, "Never give up, never surrender!"
But, I do weep for her situation.
sigh

So, great times, great memories, and beautiful flowers!

Four And Counting

Well, this past five days has seen me stricken by four heart attacks, one of significance.
sigh ....
Dang those  parental genes!
But, given I have out lived most of my male ancestors by 25 years now .......
sigh

So, much downtime.
rying to take it easy but....
Even loading the dishwasher was too much last night.

Too much TV, but then, what else can I do that will not raise blood pressure?

Been watching a Russian mystery show, Anna Detective.
But, I think it is really Annette Detective.
And the Russian is off from the Russian I cannot recall.
But, I understand the dialogue, which does not match the translation given!
Maybe there is more than one variety of Russian?
No idea.
But I know that the greetings and numbers are not as stated!

I have often thought of my great-grandfather Scott.
His father was fabulous rich due to the family distillery.
Sent to Oxford.
Doctorate in Theology.
And he utterly lost his faith ... from my perspective.

the 19th century saw the rise of "The German Higher Criticism".
Nothingt those attacking! more than taking scripture out of reference,
Twisting it to fit an atheistic viewpoint,
Then going back to prove the Bible is false.

Most the religious problems today,
Date back to garbage published in the 1860 - 1885,
And though discreditted by people with knowlewdge,
Those with another agenda hjust keep coming back with the same charges again the Bible!

And, the defense did discredit those charges at the time.
But you see, it is the defenders of the faith whom have the agends,
No those attacking!

So, though Europe had a strong God conscience,
It was hard for the average man, or woman,
To know whom or what to trust!
Arise Charles Darwin in this belief void, and the die was struck.
Which we still struggle under in Western society.

So, Great-grandfather Scott, although thoroughly immersed in Christian thought,
Turned to mysticism in his life.
True, today it would have been recognized as demkonism.
But, at the time, it was but cool things that seem to work!

And so Anna Detective, reflects.
A non-God centered view of everyday life and faith.
Obviously written by those with NO understanding of the 19th century Russian Orthodox faith!
So, it nibbles around the edges but is unable to deal with the trappings of orthodoxy!
The very basis of the Russian rural life is stripped out,
With nothing to replace it.

So, you end up with a Ghost Whisperer kind of shoe.
But, this one is interesting,
Dealing with issues as current, as they were 100 years ago!

I would recommend the show,
But I seriously doubt anyone,
Other than me would sit through it!

That's Not Fair

Even small children have an inborn sense of right and wrong.
Of course, as they get older that innate  sense become modified by self will and desires.
But, we all know when something is not fair!

Having worked in Data Processing for forty years, I could tell you some hair raising stories of injustices I have witnessed. 
Usually very SMALL people, desiring to enforce their will over others.
And arnering all of the glory they can get,
For work they can not do .....
grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Sad part is, these creeps destroy lives and careers, to "protect" themselves!

And, it seems this has been true throughout the history of mankind.
Daniel slammed into this as well.
But, he was expecting to find evil repaid in this lifetime!
Not the next .....

Psalm 73

Good Things Happen To Bad People
There is no love for the wicked.
They are not strickened for what they do.
They use their money on themselves, not God.

Bad Things Happen To Good People
Yeah, well, what else can one say?

God Will Take You Home, In The End
No matter you situations in this life,
If you are God's,
He will take you home to be with Him.
When your time is up.

A Musical Saturday Morning Mystery!

Okay, so you know I have total amnesia.

Unless something external triggers a memory.

So, as my friends are continually being reminded:
Kris is very broken,
And life can be a riot!
But ever so often, I do get something right!

I heard this song while I am driving down to mother's last week.
The song was confusing me though.
The lyrics just did not seem to be logically connected!
I was missing something.

So, I watched the video ......



When the lady came out onto the stage, I instantly recognized her as being, Ronnie Spector!

I loved her voice as a child in Germany.
So did Phil Spector.
Or perhaps her potential cash flow more!
I felt real sorry for her, that she ever tangled with the creep!
And that was at the time!
Long before he shot and killed Supergirl!
Yeah, even as a child I could spot a creep with my back turned!

Phil took Ronnie, and with his contacts, did make her a music legend.
There are few female performers whom do not owe her!
Except perhaps Brenda Lee or Dale Evans!

So, what did Ronnie say?



And she is still saying it!



So, be my baby!

Yeah, mystery: solv-ed, as they say ....

Embarrassment

Embarrassment, the only reaction ANY thinking man could feel for Washington State, King County in particular - and my little burg of Burien!  Apparently the Califoirnification of this place is now complete.

Vashon Island, best known for K-2 Skies and Anderson Windows, apparently has a Greek Orthodox Church!  Who would have suspected!  They keep a mighty low profile.

Well one of their Monks was visiting Burien, when one of our fine transient types attacked him.
Yeah, he walked up to the Monk at the gas station by the bus transit center, asked him what he thought of Trump - and - cold cocked him!

Needless to say, the monk was badly hurt, his hearing perhaps lost!
Having flattened the Monk, he took off.
Photos of the attack identify him as someone with multiple warrants outstanding.
Yeah, the typical pieces of human dregs this place has attracted!

I know this monk and have had numerous discussions with him at the church in Seattle.
Nice guy.
Well meaning.
i am very sorry to hear of this evil befalling him!

With any luck his attacker will be found and committed until he can get the help he needs .... like OFF drugs!

This is just beyond the pale .....

Letting Go

Life has all sorts of intrigues.
You will find ou have been played by those you trusted.
You may even find you treated poorly the innocent based on corrupt testimony.
You have a log in your eye, as you heap shame on someone with dust in theirs!
You may even oneday discern you are trapped in your own sin cycle .....

You have to get rid of the wrongs in your life!

Psalm32

Holding it in Hurts You!
Psychology has show that holding on to anger can dramatically shorten your life!
Not seeking God's forgiveness can damage us physically, mentally and spiritually!

Consider David's really mucking it with Bathsheba!
And to murder Uriah, to cover his own sin and disgrace?
Sigh, oh David how far you fell!!!
How far you still had to go to reach your bottom!
sigh!

To pseudo-quote, David,
"I was living in a hellish nightmare!"
And is a nightmare, without God slapping you in the face?
Yes, Nathan, the Prophet, comes to David and confronts him with his sin!

Yeah, that always shuts people up real fast.
Of course they are trying to figure how yo could have possiblky known ....
God has NO business telling others about me!
GRRRRRRRRR!

As I said, people don't like being confronted by the failures!

Getting It Out
Confess your rebellion to God.
Yes, even as a Christian!
You must agree with God  on what He knows about you!
Then you must chane your behavior!

David recognized his willful rebellion to God.
David recognized his sin.

And in verse 5 we have his confession!

Then he recognized he was forgiven.
Therefore would not be held accountable before God, one day!

Don't be Mule-headed!
Don't force God,
To force you.,
To see you sin!
Don't be stubborn!

See your pain clearly.
Find ways to deal with it.
Turn your heart and spirit back to God!

Stuff n Such

So, how did my art day go?
Far better than expected!

I started with a rough sketch of what I thought I would do.
And instantly hated it!

So, I settled back and read a book on painting composition,
Stephen Quiller's book on Watercoloir
And a book on Landscape painting.

A lot of reading but my brain seemed comfortable in dealing with new knowledge!
And I looked at my banana and applying my new knowledge,
I instantly hated it even more!

Over a dinner of Mongolian Beef,
I started work anew.
I took a tea break and my mind saw a white haired man sitting in front of me.
I liked him. I knew that much.
His name came slowly,
Jeff Smith, aka The Frugal Gourmet.
And my mind continued clicking along.
The last time I had seen him here,
Just before his being called home to meet his Creator.

Yeah, he was a Christian and ordained.
His last book was never released.
(I do have a copy, as does Oldest Daughter!)
His reputation destroyed by a lying friend wanting cash.
His TV show cancelled,
His wife drop kicked him out of the family,
His friends turned on him.
And I sat here with him through those years ...
And a lady, I think his publicist?  Maybe?
Never said a word to her.

And the mist faded,
Jeff is long gone,
Time has healed his destroyed reputation,
And turned it against his lying friend/employee/coward.
Such a work he was.

I looked again at the original banana,
Grabbed a new 3x5 card,
And rapidly sketched out what I wanted.
WoW!
I was amazed at how much better it was!

Next step, do it again, only bigger!

My heartfelt thanks to :
Ian Roberts
Suzanne Brooker
longtime acquaintance, Stephen Quiller
and long gone - and almost friend, Jeff Smith

Tragic Loss

Took say I was stunned when I turned on the news Monday,
Would be an understatement.
Notre Dame had caught fire!!!!

I quickly texted my sister,
Called my mother to tell her,
And sat back to stare in disbelieve at the flames devouring happy memories.

I lived on the Belgium-Lux-French border for many years,
until I became a teenager!
Paris was a half day commute back then,
But even at that,
I was in Paris at least once a month!
And each trip always had me either at Notre Dame,
Or one of the hotels overlooking the plaza.

I danced with the two Princesses Sophia's there!
Learned to eat Greek food,
Drink Ouzo,
Chat with Christian Dior,
And dance in a line of guys on a tabletop,
Shouting "Opa!"

The rest of those years were spent investigating the catacombs,
Studying the Roman Christian Church archaeology  UNDER Notre Dame!
(never knew that there was an ancient church there - did you!?!?)
Yeah, I had a weird childhood!

And the flames burned for an hour and a half,
On rthe SKYNET coverage.
I turned it off as the spire came down.
I quietly said a prayer ....
That no Arab had been so stupid as to have done this!
( There were 12 attacks on Christian Churches in the previous 24 hours.)
So .......

And I wondered about this - me!
What I have I become?
Compassion for those whom have actively sought to kill me?
I still have a price on my head,
For my response to Bernard's murder!
Not my proudest moment ....
.
At least I would still take out that POC Radic,
Mass murderer,
Executioner of my cousin Bernard - for being a NATO Medic!
Very hard to forgive that.
Very hard to forgive being made the last male in my greater family!
Very hard to forgive what Bernard's murder did to the family!
To all whom knew him.

I guess I am feeling the loss today.
Loss of my youthful memories,
The hole left by my Uncle's son,  then family, then Uncle losses!
And one Aunt I fear in the near future!

Then there will be one Aunt and me.
Sigh
So many memories of Notre Dame, now gone.
My birth place  gone.
Soon, maybe me too?

Ah!
What a morbid little post this has become!
Time to take a nap!
Sip some fine tea.
And make something to eat!

Painting

Okay, so after 10 years of NOT painting,
I am back at it.
Working in watercolor. mostly to see if I still have it or can regain where I was,
When life overcame me!

I will know by the end of today.

This is day four of working on a banana.
Colorful and a bit tricky to get the features correct.
We will see!

I honestly do hope I am successful.
If only I can focus my mind .....

Musical Saturday Morning

I really do not care for Madonna.
At the time, she was our best example to the kids, of how not to live!
And most of the kids would listen ....
Cause we were not their parents!

Unfortunately, a lots of the fathers were quite drawn to her, er, form?
Certainly, the lunch I shared with her, confirmed my opinion.
Yet, equally, I was amazed she was actually intelligent and "very normal".
For a twenty-something in outright rebellion against what she did know!

The Blues

Psalms 42 and 43

Saints Get Sad Sometimes
At some point in time we will all know sadness.
Yes, even depression!
Thinkon the lives of Spurgeon,Churchill, Jeremiah, ..... everyone.
Here, King David is depressed!
He felt God had abandoned him.
And, could not be found!

Pain Is Painful
God is always there.
Sometimes we have to wait to kearn a lesson.
Or get the point of what God is doing!
"Where is your God?"
The chant of friends not being helpful.
Think of Jonah!

What do we do, when in a funk?

Remember And Hope
 Remember what God has done in the past.
For you,
For others,
In the Bible.
Turn your mind from the circumstance,
To be positive,
And wait on God to move!
You must choose to focus on God!

Consider Philippians 4:8

Sharknado

Turned the ROKU device on Wednesday morning.
A blah day.
Why, not just suck some tea and watch Sharknado!

Such a worthless little film!
Such a laugh!
So ... sick.

Some mighty dark humor!
And, can you believe there are six of them now?
And they picked up every desperate wanna-be actor and actress along the way!
Holy Moly, such a collection of bad actors as has ever been put on film!
Oh yeah, a must watch, at least once!
Probably not an owner though!

So grab some popcorn or Alka-Seltzer,
Settle back and be thankful there is no such thing as a ...
SHARKNADO!!!!!!!

SHE

I love the movie, "SHE".
I first saw the 1960's version, upon arrival in America.
I watched it on late night TV!
And I was mesmerized, not only by, the movie, but also seeing a TV!
Much less in color!
(TV's were quite rare in Germany back then.)
That was year 9 of my schooling.

In year 10, we had to read the book.
Have you ever it?
It is horrible!
Ryder might be a classic English author,
But to this little German, he was not understandable in the least!
And my book report reflected what the teacher did not agree with!

sigh!

Right now I am watching the 1935 Movie release!
And it is pretty good!
Even for a cheesy story, the dialogue is amazingly good!

And light years ahead of the "stuff" put out these days!!!!!

On a side note,  when I first met GG, she rather quickly earned the name, Aisha ...
SHE whom must be obeyed!!!!!
And to group of college guys, that was just fine with the lot of us!

Continuing Conversations

So, I am sitting in Huckleberry's, a local, healthier version of Denny's kind of place.
Lots of old people eat here.
Yeah, I guess somehow I got old.
Not sure how that happened.
Too many birthdays?

About 20 feet from me is a couple.
I know, I knew them, but thanks to my stroke - NO clue as to whom they are.
So, I quietly eat and listen to their talk.
And a memory is triggered ,,,,,

If you are a long time reader, I once told the tale of a horridly obese couple trying to convince their normal sized teenage daughter to gain weight!
It seems if she could hit 285 pounds by 18, she would be considered disabled and get social security disability, for life!
Never heard of such a thing!

So, from what I caught of the conversation this time:

Daughter did not make it to 285, she only attained 260.
Had a massive heart attack and died!
They were .... well, death of your only child is a life changing event!

To their credit, they both appear to have lost about half their weight!
Yeah, they still have a ways to go be healthy again.
But they are working on it!
But the poor daughter ... !

*******

At the adjacent  table are 4, twenty something lovelies.
A glass of Rose, one of Red and two Chablis later and the group was not only noisy but also lost their inhibitions!
So, they got off on, "who has the worse OBYGN"?
The leggy blonde won that one hands down.
But not without horrifying all women in earshot!
And she had not even reached the creme de la creme of her tales!

So then, she got down to a tale so bizarre,
That honestly I think she crossed paths with a psychopath!
Yeah, psychopaths worry me because they are very unpredictable, unless you know their motivation!
So, my ears perked up .....

"So, the guy came in to examine me.
I thought he looked really strange, but hey .....
So, we are chatting through the exam and then he suddenly asks me out on a date!
And, well, it has been three years, so I said, Okay."

The other women were a bit aghast, but encouraged her to continue!

"So, we met at (a local bar),
And all he wanted to do was talk about my crouch,
And how wonderful the rest of me must be!"
Lots of murmuring, so I could not hear ...

"Yeah, I excused myself to go to the bathroom.
Yeah, I left my jacket,
Caught a cab and have not been answering my phone or door!
That guy was REALLY creepy!"

A Middle aged woman stood up, approached the table and lectured the bleary eyed crowd on how inappropriate they were for her 14 year old grand-daughter!
Whom was in tears by now!
Quelled by drainiing her mother's hard liquor glass!
Well, while the cat's not watching!

Long legged blonde stumbled off and did not return!
So, the three remaining women, stayed and discussed at how inappropriate that older women was to have lectured them!

Yeay, that was something!!!!!!!!
As for GG, she was on pain meds and heard nothing ...
She might have even not been on this planet ...

*****

And what is a dinner out, without a first date train-wreck in progress?

Yeah, another weird guy trying to impress someone whom had a brain ....

At a certain point she reached quietly into her lap,
Hit a button on her smart phone,
It rang and she pretended to take an "emergency" call.
Very well executed!

So, she excused herself from the table and headed chatting on the phone with her make believe rescuer!
He stayed about 30 minutes more before exiting stage left.
Failing to pay any bill as well!
And he left her coat!

sigh ... people!

Impressive Storm

Friday, the day of our little annual UFO celebration.
The annual remembrance of the time in 1947 when a crash, just to the west, placed our little burg in the public eye.
Well, until this year it seems!
Yeah, mother nature descended with a vengeance!

So, on my clock it was 4 pm, but the power company says it was 3:50.
Doesn't matter, the power went out to the whole area!
We had flickering for about 10 minutes then nothing!

I thought, "How odd!"
We barely had any rain.
Almost no wind.
And yet something blew somewhere?

Well, not exactly ...

It seems that 6 miles north of here, there was a major wind event.
No observed records or mechanical readings, it hit where there is nothing other than manufacturing buildings!

In all 24 of the big power poles and towers were brought down!
Taking out all of the power to the south-end of Seattle!
This poor driver got caught by one of the poles!
Amazingly, she and her passenger were unharmed!
Wow!
How fortuitous is that?!

And that was end of the UFO party!
No bands could play,
No records spun,
No short film contest,
No beer could be pumped,
Just wet people standing in the dark.

Yeah, sort of a statement about the whole UFO issue:
Everyone left standing in the dark .....

As for me,
I had just put GG down for a nap - she is still in much pain from her knee replacement!
Heated my afternoon tea water,
Poured it,
Flicker - Flicker - Flicker!
And lights out.

We still had a bit of daylight,
So I lit up my kerosene storm lamps,
A pillar in the bathroom and one in the living room.
Tried to work on my current painting, but too little light!
Tried to read, but again, too little light.

So, I stood in the doorway to the front bridge to the road.
There was utter calm,
The sky held that odd yellowish brown color of a storm approaching.
There was utter silence.

GG woke up about 5:00 and I filled her in on the conditions.
We left to hunt food in Tukwila, as son has my camp stove!
And just before we got there, the power snapped back on.
Well, up until then, people had been thinking and respectful.
But threaten them with a red light and everyone stomped on the gas!
It  was kill or be killed by these idiots all wanting across the intersections!

Luckily, I was already entering when the power surged on!
So the disaster was behind me.
And the last intersection before Outback was well managed!
Thank you, Lord!
I really do not want to get hit in my little 4x4!

Of youngest daughter called half way through the meal to find out where we were.
Since she is never home on a Friday night, I never even thought of her!
I bad .....

Musical Saturday Morning

Pondering

As my posts have shown, I have been THINKING quite a bit this week!
Yes, even with a damaged mind, I can THINK!
Though admittedly, it is actually painful and exhausting.
But, it is like this is something I have to do.
Mind you, with no idea as to why or what the end result might be!
Maddening!

I guess it is becuase the news from home is not good.
The Islamic "refugees" are more behaving more like terrorists,
But the governments refuse to recognize that fact!
No, it is the victims, should they defend themselves, whom are labelled criminals and terrorists!

And governments are turning against their own people to support their gloalst agendas!
And the body counts continues to climb.
Totally ignored by the government and news services!
The only ones to care are the police, and they committing suicide at an astounding rate!
Imagine a situation so bad that the cops are killing themselves at a rate of two per day!

My logical mind can not even grasp this!

Evil is over taking this world ... and no one cares because it is :hidden"!
Except for those who are subjected to it ... or related those whom are.

Were it not for the Bush's, Obama and a host of power mad Brits,
Islamist and the world would have continued in peace.
But this can not happen thanks to these scummy politicians!
I dare say, history will not treat them kindly!

Which is not to say that a show down is inevitable between Islam and the world!
The Islamic world needs to find God,
Just the length by which it will go to silence those who find God,
Proves the point.
And it saddens me greatly,
Because it seems so hopeless!

But, then, that is where prayer and God come in!

Happy Birthday Somer

Well today is Somer's 63rd birthday!
Or as my mining partners wife asked me last night:
"So, how old is she?"
I responded, "Well if I am 22, then she must be 85!"
She dropped the phone she got to laughing so hard!

Tuesday was Kathy's birthday and Somer had sent her greetings.
I was very surprised!
They had only met once, back in 1981, I believe.
Somer flew down to Phoenix when I was developing small deposit of copper, associated with rare earth minerals.
So, we swung over to Tucson where my mining partner lived with his wife Kathy.
We had a great day, but I did not know they stayed in touch!

So, for this year, what do you give someone whom is independently wealthy?
Especially on my meager income levels,compared to her.
She likes rabbits, so I found her a 1940's rabbit egg cup, for soft boiled eggs;
A wooden carved salt and pepper set of rabbits;
A photo of St.Quitan, after the shelling in 1917 (we lived there for three years as kids);
And a dozen recipe pamphlets from 1909 to 1928 put out by brand names of the day!

She ought to get a kick out of them, else sell them in one of her antique shops!

Though we fought like cats and dogs as children,
There is no doiubt she is still my best friend.
Which is probably as it should be ...

Thinking

As I have often mentioned, I like Tony Hillerman's, Navajo mystery books.
So, as I was working by way through the Thurlo offerings in the same vein, I got to thinking ....

The Thurlo's tell the better story,
But Hillerman seems to have a real grasp on human nature and peoples of an animistic belief system!

Seeing forces behind every flickering leaf is unavoidable, when you do not recognize God.
How could one reasonably respond otherwise?
So how does God deal with man, when he is hard to find if you are trapped in blindness?

It is well and good to quote, "No man comes to God apart from me ...."
But, the view means ALL are lost and remain lost.
At least until someone reaches out to them.
Who is that to be in a post-Christian age?

You could say, "you and me".
But in the face of the billions to be reached,
That number of us to reach out is quite small indeed!

No, we need revival!
But, more so, God based evangelists.
And they are scarcer than hens teeth .....
Yes, hens do have something like teeth!

The point is,
We need to be diligently in prayer for the lost to reached.
To general for you?
How about your family members, co-workers, friends, etc ...

We all know many we should be in prayer for.
Of course, the danger is that, we might end up being "the one" to reach out to them!
Good luck.
Be prepared to get vulnerable ...

Oatmeal

I took my mother last week to Winco for her weekly shopping trip.
While she puttered around looking for her odd assortment of things to boil, I wandered around.
I ended up looking at tea, but they had little to offer.
Though I did find a tisaine (non tea based "tea") for Swede.
It was high in anti-oxidants, so might help with his immune system!
Poor Swede is so ill!

Now it was time to find mother and see how she was doing.
But, I had to walk past the cereals to do so.
In front of me were the oatmeal selections.
Out of nowhere a memory was triggered!

I was on Long's Peak, back in 1970, in the Rocky Mountain National Park!
It was my first climbing trip in the USA.
I was bivouacked at the 12,500 foot level, just above timberline.
And it was freezing cold.
But, I like cold, so not a problem.
I was making so soft boiled eggs for breakfast, on my little sterno stove.

It sputtered and coughed but did boil my eggs for me, eventually.
So, I needed something that was easier to make next time.
As the rain fell quietly on my tent's roof, I thought about oatmeal.
I quickly dismissed that idea!
Mother's favorite breakfast item to make.
It was boiled and therefore perfect!
Only mother could not actually even boil oats and have it taste like anything in nature!

Yuck!
I never had tried cooking oats before, so intense was my aversion to it.

Back home, I went to King Soopers to check out oatmeal.
And there it was, Quaker's Instant Oatmeal.
There was only one flavor, Apple Cinnamon.
I bought a box.

I made a packet for lunch.
It was worthy of a second helping!
At last an edible oatmeal!

Two months later I was on James Peak, west of Denver.
One of the rottenest climbs I have ever been on!
But my new Butane stove was much better!
And breakfast was superb!

There was no Apple Cinnamon flavor on the shelf.
So, I reached for a box of Peaches and Cream flavor oats.
Very tasty.
Even my youngest daughter thought so!

Well time to add the now boiled water to my bowl of Peaces and Cream!

April's Fool

Wow, totally spaced out doing a post today!

Spring cleaning has hit!
So, I am oinn day three of working on the house!
Too much junk!
Yet I lack the will power to just "get rid of" stuff.
sigh ...

So far, I have identified one of my art history books I can trade off to a bookstore.
Terrible start!
Oh well.

Got some notebooks and mylar pages to put my postcards into.
Okay, I am more interested in organizing.

Mitchell Albala's book has finally has come out!
Such a long wait!
He was in town three weeks ago lecturing on landscape painting composition.
It was quite good.
Of course I bought a copy.

Perhaps he will do another lecture and I can get him to sign it.

The book has some great examples.
I will have to try and replicate his outcomes.
Ha-ha!
Like I am going to wake up with that level of artistry!